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James Murray – Mount View [English/Polish]

ENG: James Murray visits Santa Sangre’s pages for the second time. The first time we covered his work was on the occasion of a very short work released by Hibernate Recordings entitled “Broken Homes”. On “Mount View” James has the opportunity to present his music in a wider range.

This is his fourth full album that is also the culmination of a trilogy, the earlier components of which were “Floods” and “The Land Bridge”. This trilogy is in a way autobiographical, and with its closing segment James returns to the point from where he began his life journey. He’s coming home. With the baggage of experience, the ability to look back, analyze his own mistakes, forgive the mistakes of others. A musical self-examination? Perhaps, especially since this album’s personal touch is not only outlined in press releases, as is often the case with other albums. On “Mount View” one can actually hear that James peered into his mind, called forth long tarnished memories, perhaps even looked into old diaries and correspondence, whether paper or electronic. He looked at it in a wider perspective and tried to forge a few images from his past into the music.

I think ambient is an ideal medium to portray such emotions. There are no superfluous words here – the artist is able to recreate what’s hidden in his soul wholeheartedly, without any need to dress it in shapeless phrases that may constitute poetry, but are more often balancing, or even crossing the line of kitsch. The word is a powerful, but also double-edged weapon. On the other hand the listener has a lot of leeway in the interpretation of such albums as “Mount View”. You can move along with James in his trip down memory lane, but you can also translate those sounds in your own way, build your own microcosm around them. The musician doesn’t impose anything, he created this to give vent to what was deeply rooted in his soul. He doesn’t impose an interpretation, anyone can use “Mount View” in such what way they feel like.

Because despite its emotional character, the music isn’t particularly invasive. Background for reading or cooking? Why not? It is ambient devoid of low frequencies or clearly pessimistic overtones. Melancholy and reverie, yes, absolutely, but I don’t want to shoot myself in the head after listening to “Mount View”. The drones generated by James aren’t crystal clear, they give the impression of being a bit muted, but aren’t memories like that? Also, the musician weaves a handful of simple but heartfelt melodies in his compositions, such as in my favorite track, the touching “Climb The Rise”, which reminds me of a few scenes from my childhood.

I really like such albums, released without much fuss, humble in expression, but carrying a sincere message. James Murray isn’t (yet) the loudest name in the ambient scene, but if you fancy a portion of very personal, introspective electronic music, “Mount View” is for you.